a third-year teacher's escapades in the realm of the public high school. sometimes witty. sometimes sad. sometimes angry. always exhausted. it's a bumpy ride, but i wait for the moments that make it worth it.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

how i almost got fired...

okay, so possibly i didn't almost get fired; however, i thought i was going to be. i was accused of losing and/or stealing a student's cell phone.i will start my story by saying i usually love the anti-social punk kids. they are usually some of my favorites. i like a little spunk, but i'm not a fan of attitude...especially of the disrespectful variety.as you may've already guessed, this story is about punky, who has a horrific attitude issue. she also doesn't do her work, spends class time doodling/putting on make-up/doing everything in her power to irritate the hell out of me, and to top it all off, my second biggest pet-peeve, texting people during class!! *damn columbine for making it so that students can have cell phones in school!! disclaimer: i mean that slightly tounge-in-cheek.* today makes three times that i've caught her texting...so, the incident happened as follows:

she hands it over, shooting me a nasty glare. i set the phone on the desk between my computer and my pens. i have a student finishing up a quiz on the other side of the desk *this will be important later*. the classroom phone rings, and it's asst. principal bulldog. he asks me to send punky down to the office...she's in trouble for something. i tell her she needs to go down there. she gives me attitude.

me: and when you come back tomorrow, make sure you've ditched the attitude. i'm entirely sick of it.

punky: what attitude?! just because i don't talk in class i have an attitude. *using said attitude while speaking*

me: that rude, disrespectful tone you just used. ditch the attitude or don't bother coming to class.

punky: whatever.

me: yup. that would be the one.

punky: *insert lots of eye-rolling and obnoxious sighing*

i was saved from listening to it all by a student in the back of the room who needed help with his essay. i jumped at the chance to get away. helped said student and made my way back to the front of the room. punky was gone, and funny, so was her cell phone.i ask the student taking the quiz if she saw punky take it. she said "no" *and i will add that she and punky run with the same group of kids which could've imfluenced her answer* i search for it, then logically assume punky took it with her. so, i write her up not only for the cell phone and the attitude, but also for taking it from my desk.take it to the office. explain the situation and tell secretary i want to talk to punky when she's done with bulldog. five minutes later, i get a call from the secretary saying that punky swears she doesn't have the phone, and she's pissed i lost/stole it. frantically i run upstairs and search the room we were in.i then as quiz girl if punky took it. i explain to her that i could be in trouble, and i need to know the truth. she admits punky stopped at my desk "to talk to another student".i call bulldog and tell him what happened...get a call five minutes later. he says she kept denying it. finally he looked in her bag...guess what he found...

oh my god, you do not get paid enough for this shit. Cellphones should be banned from school entirely, or at least handed in at the office. Fuck columnbine - that's a dumb reason to allow students to have cellphones in class...gee, just in case someone opens fire? what will they think of next? It just goes to show how vindictive students can be when they think you're 'messing with them' and want to get their own back. That could have potentially turned nasty if they hadn't searched her bag.

i'm sure bulldog more than chewed her out, and her mom's one of those involved parents...so, i'm really thinking her real trouble will be at home. and also, i won't have to deal with her at least for tomorrow because she'll be down in the inhouse room! which is probably a good thing because i am still livid.and, m, with the cell phone deal, they're supposed to be turned off and put away. some teachers don't care if they're out though, and others are too oblivious to notice. i think it's ridiculous as well considering there's a phone in every classroom.and i thought it was going to turn really nasty, but bulldog has a way of taking care of most situations.

ooh. i might start doing that.also, supposedly the whole school is going to start cracking down, and the phone is supposed to make it's way down to the a.p.'s office. i just hate having it until it gets down there.